Shotgunning
by KnickKnackKitKat
Summary: "He almost misses it, then. One minute Judai has his fingers curled around the pack, and the next it's become a bird, soaring through the air before smashing down the hill." [starshipping drabble]


**Trigger warning: smoking, one slightly violent image**

* * *

"Judai?"

When the younger man, bent from the waist over the guardrail, does nothing to acknowledge him, Yusei doesn't flinch. He knows better than this. It shouldn't be question. It never works as a question. Yusei clears his throat.

"Judai."

His voice is more gravelly than he'd like, but the cough's only been getting worse. Not that he's really helped it at all, he supposes. Still, throat thrashed or not, the voice goes through, and Judai stiffens in surprise. Yusei sees the way his soft hands, paled from the moonlight, tighten on the dirty steel. His knuckles turn white like the blossoms at his feet, and his shoulders shrug up like his name is a lightning rod jabbing at his spine. Yusei tries not to smile.

Instead, he finds himself beside him, elbows on the railing, eyes drawing up approximate figures of the angle of the hill. His head tells him the distance might kill him if he falls. _Too many broken bones all at once._ Yusei thinks. He'd probably bleed to death. It's not like anyone would find him out there.

Instinctively, he leans forward.

"What are you doing out here?" Judai interrupts Yusei's thoughts, a soft edge to his voice. "It's late. You could get hurt."

Yusei lets the hint of a laugh escape his lips as he pulls his death wish out of his jacket. "Hi pot." He says, a cancer stick between his fingers. "I'm kettle."

"Whatever." Judai pushes his shoulder as the other man tries to light his cigarette. "Give me one."

Yusei obliges, handing the pack to Judai. He almost misses it, then. One minute Judai has his fingers curled around the pack, and the next it's become a bird, soaring through the air before smashing down the hill. Yusei chokes, sputtering out the smoke waiting to be released from his lungs and juggling the lit cigarette between his gloved fingers. "That was a new pack." He says between coughs, ocean eyes managing a glare through the sting of high tide.

"They're bad for you." Judai says simply.

Yusei only makes a small noise of disapproval, inaudible with the wind taking it away. He knows Judai is right. Food has started to become less important than nicotine.

"Hey."

Yusei lifts his head from his hands, monitoring the smile playing at Judai's lips. "C'mere." He says, though he doesn't give much of a choice when he closes the space between them. Yusei asks a question with his eyes, but Judai merely keeps smiling, putting the cigarette between his lips and lighting it on the tip of Yusei's. Yusei watches the way Judai's eyes cross as he stares at the intersection, watches the way the embers from the cigarettes creates a glow across Judai's nose, watches the way the smoke billows in time with the slight brush of Judai's bangs. This close up, he can see the flecks of gold in Judai's eyes and the way his eyelashes fan out at the ends. He can see the tiny freckles pinpricking Judai's cheeks and the little scar by his upper lip. It's like he can see the whole world.

 _Well,_ he supposes, _my whole world, anyways._

Judai gives only a millimeter of space between their cigarettes before he takes a drag, closing his eyes and hollowing his cheeks. Yusei swallows, his cheeks burning. Judai looks up through his lashes, and Yusei – like always – finds his eyes anchored to Judai's. He grips his own cigarette, thinking of taking a breath himself when he sees Judai's eyes flash, his hand covering Yusei's in an instant. _Ah, ah, ah._ The gesture says.

 _Okay._ Yusei's smile replies.

Judai pushes his fingers underneath Yusei's, pulling down the cigarette from Yusei's mouth and dropping it on the gravel. Yusei opens his mouth to protest, but Judai gets impossibly close, tipping Yusei's chin with his soft thumb and breathes the smoke out.

Yusei's eyes widen – it's his turn to be surprised – but the inhale is automatic. The smoke crawls inside, curling in his mouth, burning his lungs. His gaze stays on Judai, relishing in the way Judai's cheeks are starting to flush despite the cool air of the outside world.

Yusei only holds the smoke for a minute, angling the spray up and down Judai's face. His nose scrunches, lips pulling into a pout, and Yusei lets out a soft chuckle that tapers into comfortable silence, his forehead resting against Judai's. Judai steals a peck, simple but sweet, a grin on his face as he stares up at Yusei. He's helpless to do anything but reciprocate both.

They stay like that for a while, their fingers tangling somewhere along the way, breath synchronizing. It's only natural, then, that their pecking game expands into longer kisses. Yusei moves – breaking just inches from Judai's soft, inviting lips – to pick him up, Judai's legs instinctually wrapping around his waist. When Judai's tongue envelops his mouth, Yusei wonders – not for the first time – if this is what stars would taste like if they had one. He comes to the same conclusion as always: They'd have to, since Judai himself is the sun.

Judai pulls Yusei closer as his feet hit the ground, arms raveled around Yusei's neck. Yusei moves his freed hands to Judai's cheeks, his hair, gentle knuckles brushing across the heated skin, tangling in the wild hair. They could stay like this – connected by electricity and their own racing hearts – forever, but human flesh can only be weathered so much in the cold. With one last peck, they break, and Judai's fingers roam for the warmth Yusei's always bring.

"Let's go home." Judai breathes. Yusei nods, planting a soft kiss to the other's nose before straightening and heading towards the D-Wheel on the other side of the road.

Once the motorcycle has started, it only emits a hum as Yusei U-turns for the apartment they share. Judai nuzzles his back. "Sorry I disappeared." Judai says, his arms squeezing Yusei's midsection. "I just needed to get out of my head a bit. I hadn't meant to walk that far."

Yusei places a hand over one of Judai's. "It's alright." He says, his mind travelling to the hill. "I know the feeling."

It's comfortably silent from there as Yusei turns left, winding his way through the backroads. He soaks in the comfort of the wind for a little while longer before he speaks. "How are you feeling?"

"Okay," Judai says. "I think I'm okay. You?"

"Yeah, me, too." Yusei smiles.

"Good."

Judai pauses, nuzzling into Yusei's back.

"Oh, by the way, I threw your cigarette stash into the lake."

Yusei can only laugh. "Of course you did."

* * *

 **A/N: Soooooooo. This was _supposed_ to be a warm-up drabble, but it... got out of hand quite quickly. It's inspired by the cover picture! Aren't they precious? I cannot for the life of me find the image credit, though. I'm 90% sure they're a pivix user, though I found this on tumblr. If you find the artist, give me a shout, yeah?**

 **Anyways, I actually really like this one? like a lot? holy shit me? liking? my own writing? what is this madness?**

 **Hope you enjoy. I'd love a review on this one if you can spare the time.**


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